The use of secure network sites to provide private information to users is becoming more prevalent. Secure network sites are available for providing information on financial markets, private financial information (status of bank accounts) and many others. To obtain access to a secure network site a user usually requires some form of secure access means, such as a unique user identifier and a password, in order to enable them to access the network site services.
A user may require access to many different network sites providing different services. For example, they may have a number of bank accounts, as well as requiring access to other sites providing private information or, for example, providing information for a price. In these circumstances, the user may require many different access means, e.g. many different passwords. Remembering so many different passwords is a problem. To assist, the user may record the passwords in a “safe place”. This leads to a security problem, as an unauthorised user (e.g. a “hacker”) may be able to access the recorded secure access means and obtain entry to the users secure network sites.
In an attempt to address this problem, it is known to provide third party account aggregation services. An account aggregator stores, at a secure site remote from the user network node, the users secure access means for entry to the secure network sites that the user subscribes to. The user is provided with a single further secure access means for access to the account aggregator site (e.g. a single user identifier and password). The user can request the account aggregator to access the users network services and the account aggregator employs the stored user secure access means to do so on the users behalf.
There are a number of problems associated with such third party account aggregation services. Perhaps the major problem is that many institutions who run private network access sites, e.g. financial institutions such as banks, require that a user be the only person who uses the secure access means for entry to their sites. This is a legal requirement addressed in the terms and conditions of use, and the use of a third party account aggregator service having this information can breach this legal requirement. A number of institutions in Australia have in fact already taken action to block access to their secure sites by third party account aggregators.
Another problem is that the aggregator sites are desirable sites for hackers and other unauthorised persons. They store the secure access means for many users and if security can be breached, the rewards to the hacker can be great (access to many users secure network services). Security of sites is therefore a major problem and cost.
There is a need for a system which enables a user to access a plurality of secure network sites without requiring a plurality of separate secure access means, while maintaining security and control of the secure access means by the user.
It is to be understood that, if any prior art publication or reference to prior art is made herein, such reference does not constitute an admission that the prior art forms a part of the common general knowledge in the art, in Australia or any other country.